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Points deductions recommended for Italy clubs

Points deductions for clubs involved in Italy's latest match-fixing scandal were recommended by the football federation's prosecutor on Friday, a day after top flight Atalanta were handed a two-point penalty for next term.

A federation spokesman said the prosecutor had asked for Pescara, promoted to Serie A last month, to receive a two-point penalty either for last season or next term.

The federation must rubber-stamp the prosecutor's requests in the coming days. Pescara's promotion is not under threat given the Serie B champions were three points clear of third place.

Pescara are already set to be without coach Zdenek Zeman who is joining AS Roma.

Top flight Siena and former Serie A side Sampdoria should receive fines of 50,000 euros for their involvement in the illgal betting affair, prosecutor Stefano Palazzi added.

Antonio Conte, coach of Serie A champions Juventus, has been put under police investigation because of allegations of match-fixing while he was in charge of Siena in the 2010/11 season. He denies wrongdoing.

Bergamo-based Atalanta already had six points deducted last season but further investigations led to the new punishment along with an extra two-year ban for former player Cristiano Doni.

Last August, Doni was suspended for three and a half years for his part in the Calcioscommesse match-fixing scandal involving Serie B matches.

On Friday, Palazzi called for relegated Serie A side Novara to start next term with a six-point deduction while relegated Serie B side AlbinoLeffe could have 27 points wiped off for next season.

He also wants a myriad of points penalties and fines for other Serie B sides as well as Coppa Italia exclusion for some teams and lengthy bans for a raft of second-tier players.

Italy was only just recovering from a 2006 match-fixing scandal when the latest affair flared up last year.

Allegations have continued to flow for months and this week left back Domenico Criscito was left out of Italy's Euro 2012 squad after police said he was formally under investigation.